Epidemiology of intestinal parasitic infections in school children in Ghazni Province, eastern Afghanistan

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of intestinal parasites and their species in Afghan school children and to establish appropriate treatment methods for detected pathogens.

Methods: Parasitological examination of stool samples collected from 1369 children aged 8-18, students of the Jahan Malika High School in Ghazni Province in eastern Afghanistan, was conducted in the period November 2013-April 2014. Three stool samples were collected from each patient every second day; the samples were fixed in 10% formalin and tested by light microscopy using the methods of direct smear in Lugol’s solution, decantation in distilled water, and Fülleborn’s flotation.

Results: Of 535 examined children (39.1% of the study group) were infected with nematodes (n=324), cestodes (n=118), trematodes (n=12), and protozoa (n=228), 132 were diagnosed with co-infections (mainly ascariasis+giardiasis, ascariasis+hymenolepiasis) and received single or combined therapy.

Conclusions: The Afghan community is an example of population characterized by a high rate of parasitic infections. Owing to high prevalence of multiple infections among inhabitants of Afghanistan, it seems that a mass deworming campaign with a single-dose chemotherapy may prove ineffective in eradicating intestinal parasites in the local population. 

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.12669/pjms.316.8889

How to cite this:Korzeniewski K, Augustynowicz A, Smoleń A, Lass A. Epidemiology of intestinal parasitic infections in school children in Ghazni Province, eastern Afghanistan. Pak J Med Sci 2015;31(6):1421-1425.   doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.12669/pjms.316.8889

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